Damsels are Distressing
by Mnemosyne77
Summary: Damsels are in distress. Merlin is a hero. Arthur is confused.
1. Bad Day Part 1

Arthur sped angrily through the castle, his sword swinging wildly at his hip, his blonde hair practically bristling above the scowl on his face. A confused and bemused Merlin followed him from a distance just large enough to keep him out of the Prince's orbit but not large enough to suggest that he wasn't doing his duty.

Servants ducked and scurried out of his way. The Prince in such a foul mood was something that should be avoided at all costs.

"What's with him?" mouthed Matthew, one of Uther's messengers who happened to be walking by. Matthew was known for an impertinence that rivalled even the Crown Prince's manservant.

Merlin just shrugged and gave Matthew a look that clearly said _who the hell knows but would you want to be me right now?_

As they reached Arthur's chambers, the Prince threw open the door and threw his sword and scabbard on the table.

"Well, come on," he said angrily, "don't take all day. Get me out of this armour."

Merlin moved over quietly and diffidently began untying the straps on Arthur's breastplate as if the Prince was an animal that might bite at any time.

"So, Sire," he said nervously, "we rescued Gwen. And Morgana. I would have thought you'd be happy."

"Happy, Merlin? Oh yes, I'm _ecstatic_. And do you know why I'm ecstatic, Merlin."

"Because they're not dead," replied Merlin with a hopeful grin.

"Because I'm Arthur Pendragon and in the last week I've saved the lives of four beautiful, grateful women."

"You say that like it's a bad thing..." said Merlin, even as a sinking feeling told him that this was a subject he should be avoiding. After all, rescuing four damsels in distress should have made Arthur happy.

"Oh, I didn't say they were grateful to _me,_ Merlin, I just said they were grateful. No, all I did was risk life and limb to save them from fates worse than death and, in some cases, death, and what do they do when they're finally free?"

"They... thanked...you... Arthur, what are you talking about?"

Arthur's breastplate came free and he stood back unencumbered by the metal and glared at the man in front of him. Was it possible, he thought, that the idiot didn't even notice? Oh, yes, he thought, with Merlin any general absurdity was possible.

"Let me spell it out for you, you buffoon. Let me take you back to the beginning: last Wednesday when that Merman kidnapped the Princess Jacquelyn and imprisoned her in that cave underneath the Lake..."

* * *

**So, this is a single story I've written that I've deliberately broken up into pieces just to torture you. Basically, three adventures the boys went on with a bridging conversation between each. If you enjoy, you know what to do.**


	2. Last Wednesday

"Arthur, a Merman has kidnapped the Princess Jacquelyn and imprisoned her in a cave underneath the Lake."

Uther sat imperiously on his Throne, the messenger from King Fendrel cap in hand and kneeling in front of him.

"Then I will ride out immediately and rescue the maid."

At that statement, Uther noticed Arthur's loyal manservant began squirming. He seemed to want to say something. And probably would, Uther thought. The boy had no notion of the respect due his betters, a fact Uther had been thankful for more than once. Still, no need to encourage him either.

"Very good, Arthur. King Fendrel will no doubt be grateful. Take whichever Knights you need."

"I don't think that's necessary, Father." He scoffed slightly and Uther noticed Merlin was just about ready to burst at the statement, "I think I can handle one man holding a girl prisoner. I'll go alone. Merlin, prepare for us to ride out before lunch."

"Sire... Your Highness," said Merlin, finally finding a space in the conversation to ask some pertinent questions and so ignoring Arthur's implication that he was nobody, "do we know what this Merman is? Do we know why it took Jacquelyn? What does it want?"

"Ah, to marry her," said the messenger when he saw Uther looking at him expectantly, "it came up out of the ocean and declared that it was enamoured of her. When King Fendrel refused his request to marry her, he took her by force."

"And how did it do that?" asked Merlin, "surely Fendrel's only daughter would have been protected?"

"M... magic," stuttered the messenger. It was a brave man who used the 'm' word in Uther's court but he felt he now had no choice, "the Mers are a race of magical beings that live beneath the sea."

"You failed to mention that," noted Uther in the ironic way he had that was nonetheless surprisingly terrifying.

"They are part man, part fish but they can enchant the eye to see a human. This Mer took the form of Jacquelyn's admirer, Lord Elderberry. They had left the Castle grounds before anyone was suspicious. I swear, My Lord, an ability to breathe underwater and to change their appearance are their only magical gifts."

"And why did it take the girl to a lake in Camelot instead of back to the sea near Fendrel's castle?" continued Merlin.

The messenger glared at him, now. Honestly, who did the boy think he was?

"Ah... ummm... ah, I..."

"Answer the question," growled Uther.

"Fendrel has boats and he knows where the Mers' live. And the other Mers wouldn't approve of him kidnapping somebody and... also... the, the cave under the Lake is enchanted."

Arthur rolled his eyes and Uther shook his head.

"So, not a single man holding a girl prisoner but a magical being using magic to hold her prisoner under an enchanted lake?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Very well, we have agreed to help and we will but express to Fendrel my displeasure at him leaving these pertinent facts out of his original request. Arthur, I think guile is better than brute force in this instance. Ride out alone if you must but be careful. Merlin, take care of him."

"Of course, Your Highness," he replied respectfully, ignoring the 'alone' comment yet again.

* * *

"In hindsight, maybe riding out without the Knights was not the best plan," reflected Merlin as he sat imprisoned in the Merman's cave with his arm around a scared but calm Princess, "and me arguing that I should do a reconnaissance because I was a better swimmer also possibly not the best idea."

The cave was a damp and eerie blue with a magic wall of water flowing over the entrance that protected it but did not flood it. He sat on the cold stone, a chain around his leg securing him to the wall but giving him quite a bit of freedom of movement. He tried to comfort Jacquelyn who seemed highly intelligent, if slightly cosseted.

"Don't worry, Arthur will be here soon. He'll rescue us and we'll be fine."

He smiled at her reassuring and she smiled back slightly.

"Yep, gonna be rescued. Any minute now. Arthur's gonna burst into the cave and slay the Merman and we'll be free. Very very soon."

"Very soon."

"So," he turned to her, trying to change the subject from the imminent rescue that was less imminent then he would have liked, "the Merman wants to marry you?"

"Yes, but apparently the Mers can't force people to marry. I think he hopes that if I'm imprisoned here long enough I'll agree to marry him."

"Oh, is that likely?"

"He shackled me to a wall in a damp cave."

"Good point."

_

* * *

_

Two hours later...

"So, this brave Knight of Camelot? Does he always take this long to rescue damsels in distress?"

"You just had to use the plural, didn't you?"

_

* * *

_

Two hours and fifteen minutes later...

"I don't suppose there's anything you can do to get us out?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're magic. I can tell. Don't worry about it, it's just a gift I have. It's why Mr Mer wanted to wed me. That and my incredible wit and beauty, of course. I understand you don't want to be executed but there's no one else here and I promise I won't tell."

"Well, ok. I can get us out of these chains and then we can lure the Merman in here. Then you can distract him and I'll kill him. Then we can steal the jewel he's using to control the enchantment on the cave's entrance and swim to safety."

"Good plan. How should I distract him?"

"He wants to marry you; I'm thinking you'll find a way. Besides, of all the things I wanted to be in my life a damsel in distress was not high on my list."

"You're certainly pretty enough."

"You did want me to rescue you, right?"

"Sorry."

_

* * *

_

Three hours later...

"Merlin!" roared a voice from the next chamber and Arthur came thundering into the cave just as Merlin was slipping round the back of the Merman ready to strike him down with magic. Jacquelyn had distracted him by telling a convincing lie about a childhood of fishing and he had been trying to impress her with his best assortment of dead fish.

Arthur ran up and cleaved the fish man in two.

"Well, that's certainly an unexpected addition to his collection," said Jacquelyn.

Arthur paused only slightly at the remarkably un-damsel-like statement.

"My Lady, I am here to rescue you," he announced proudly.

"Oh thank you," she said, the emotion of her imprisonment finally overcoming her. She ran up and threw her arms around... Merlin.

"You're my hero."

Arthur looked at the beautiful Princess hanging adoringly off his lanky manservant.

"What just happened?"


	3. Bad Day Part 2

"Arthur, that was just... it took you three hours to rescue us. I kept her company. She was just thanking me because we'd gotten to know each other a bit. You were her real hero, I'm sure."

"Merlin, she asked her father for permission to _court you_."

"He said no."

"He said no because you're a servant, Merlin. He told my father he'd agree to the match if your circumstances changed. He wanted Uther to _knight you_."

"Yeah," said Merlin, ironically, "like that was going to happen. What took you so long, anyway?"

"Well, I could hardly swim down there in armour, could I? And with you gone, I didn't..."

"You took three hours to rescue us because you didn't know how to undress yourself," stated Merlin matter-of-factly trying to keep a straight face. And then he let his facade slip and started laughing.

"It's not a bit funny, Merlin!"

"No, it's a lot funny. Anyway, that was a week ago. So what if some Princess didn't appreciate your extraordinary good looks and heroism."

"Because if that wasn't bad enough, there was Saturday."

"Saturday?"

"Yes, Merlin, Saturday.


	4. Saturday

**A/N Who's Cecily the Baker's Daughter? If you haven't read 'The Twelve Days of Christmas in Camelot', read the ridiculously-long A/N at the end of this installment.**

* * *

Arthur cracked open his eyes and felt the light spear into them. It was raining but the sun's illumination was still enough to set his head throbbing. He couldn't believe it was morning. He'd spent the whole previous morning training. He'd then gone to a Knighting ceremony in the afternoon that had turned into a solid night of drinking.

He was awake. That was bad enough. But worst of all, any minute now...

"Arthur!" Merlin burst into his room.

"Merlin, you'd better have my breakfast and it had better be sausages."

"There's no time for that," stated Merlin, "Cecily, the Baker's daughter, has disappeared."

Arthur groaned and rolled onto his back, his arm dragging his pillow over his eyes to block out the glare.

"Why do I care about the baker's daughter" he moaned, "and why is she more important than my breakfast?"

"Because the baker asked me for help. Apparently she and her father had some sort of argument last night over some man she's determined to wed and she ran off and she hasn't come home. Some people who know her said she ran off into the woods and you know how dangerous they can be at night in this weather, particularly if you don't know..."

"Merlin," he said, lowering the pillow to glare at his whip-thin manservant, "how did we get involved in a domestic dispute?"

His servant looked at him ruefully.

"I don't know. I've never even spoken to Tom before. But he approached me and he asked me for help and... since when do you turn down the opportunity to help a damsel in distress?"

"Since I'm hungover and starving."

Merlin gave him one of his disappointed looks. Arthur looked at him through bleary, bloodshot eyes and grimaced.

"Oh, fine. She's a citizen of Camelot and she's in trouble. I'll help."

* * *

It had been raining for days and both men spent hours slogging through the mud trying to follow the youngster's trail.

"What's this girl's name, again?"

"Cecily," said Merlin, "she's apparently 15 with dark blonde hair."

"And why did she run away again?"

"I don't know. Something to do with a boy. Tom said he had to tell her he didn't think he was interested or something. She didn't take it well."

"Well, it's almost impossible to follow her path in this rain. However.... those look like the footprints of a small woman right there."

"If you say so."

"You're the worst tracker I've ever seen, Merlin. Thank the Lord you have me. Now, come on. They're heading toward the bog and if she's gotten trapped there..."

They kept walking through the woods, the rain obscuring the road ahead and churning the path until it was almost indistinguishable from the rest of the forest. Soaked to the bone and covered with mud, at one point Merlin stumbled and Arthur had to grab him and drag him along by his arm.

"Come on, Merlin, this was your idiotic idea. We'll find her soon and then we can go home and... hang on."

"Hang on? Is that a good hang on or a bad hang on?"

"That's an interested hang on. There're some more footprints here but they're odd. They're like a man's but they're tiny."

"Tiny," said Merlin, interested in spite of his damp weariness. "Wait, did you say she was headed toward the bog?"

"Yes, why?"

"Duergar."

"Duergar. Well, that's enlightening, Merlin. Do you have an explanation for that cryptic comment?"

"The Duergar are a race of dwarfs that lead traveller's astray if they're walking around at night," explained Merlin, "they carry torches so if people are lost they see the light and follow it. They deliberately lead people into bogs."

"Why?"

Merlin shrugged. "For fun, I guess."

"Well, in this weather their fun could mean this girl's death. We'd better hurry."

They walked for two more hours following the footprints. The girl had obviously been very lost and had backtracked on herself several times before heading in a direct line toward the bog. As they neared it, both men heard the plaintive cries for help coming from the wetlands.

"Hello!" yelled Merlin.

"We're coming," yelled Arthur, "hold on."

They came through a patch of trees to see the poor girl mired knee-deep in the mud unable to move.

"Please. Please. Help me."

She started crying and the tears ran a track down her mud-stained face.

"I ran away last night and I got lost and... there was this light and I followed it... and..."

"I know," said Merlin soothingly, "we saw the tracks."

"It's alright," said Arthur, in his best commanding, 'Knights of Camelot' voice. "I'm here to save you."

"Oh, I knew it would be you," she said, as they dragged her out of the bog, "I knew you'd rescue me. You saved my life. Thank you."

And to Arthur's astonished horror, she threw her arms around Merlin and kissed him.

**

* * *

**

**I devised Cecily the Baker's daughter for A Lion and a Unicorn but she got the chop only to appear in my Twelve Day's fic. I don't know how anyone else felt about her but I love her so I decided she was perfect for this.**

**Of course I'd love you to read the Twelve Days (it actually turned out quite well and I put a lot of work into it, so you know... please) but in case you don't want to, here's her story: Cecily is 15 and a bit of an immature romantic looking for chivalrous love. Merlin saves her from being trampled by a horse one day and she decides that he's the one for her. She spends most of the Twelve Days fic trying to get his attention but has little luck (for anyone who's read the fic, you'll know why) except for a single decidedly one-sided (and ill-timed) kiss that nearly resulted in "Murder by Morgana". Obviously the events of the Twelve Days happened in the same strange universe in which all Christmas fics exist. Nonetheless, assume that the rescue happened and that she's decided she wants to marry him. The only problem is, he has no idea she even exists.**


	5. Bad Day Part 3

"It was rainy and she was confused. She just launched herself at the nearest person who rescued her. She probably thought she was hugging you."

"Oh yes, Merlin, and after I spent _four hours_ carrying her in my arms back to Camelot, she was still so confused that she had to run around the Lower Town telling everyone who would listen that _you_ had rescued her... single-handedly."

Merlin just looked down at that and shuffled his feet slightly. He looked up and pursed his lips and Arthur just knew there was something about the situation he hadn't told him yet.

"Yes, Merlin, you may as well just tell me."

"Well, it was just.... while we're talking about it..."

"Yes, Merlin?"

"I was wondering if... maybe you could... as Crown Prince I mean... tell Tom that my duties to the crown mean that I'm not allowed to marry just yet."

"What?"

"She's only 15, Arthur, I feel a bit bad just rejecting her outright and..."

"Are you telling me the girl wants to marry you?"

"Apparently I'm her hero," said the smaller man and grinned.

"You know what it is. I'm trapped in a nightmare. Any minute now I'm going to wake up and it will all have just been a dream."

"She's barely an adult, Arthur, why does it matter to you if some very young girl doesn't adore you for rescuing her?"

"Well, it wouldn't if it was just one time but..."

"So... two damsels in distress didn't appreciate the heroic Knight you are but, in the overall scheme of things, does it really matter?"

"It probably wouldn't Merlin," he breathed angrily, "but then... then there was _today_."

"Today? We rescued Gwen and Morgana from an evil sorcerer who was going to sacrifice them to bring forth a demon to scourge the land. How can you have a problem about today?"

"Oh, I do, Merlin, I do. Let me lay it out for you, shall I? Let's talk about what happened today..."


	6. Today Part 1

On an outcropping of rock above the valley, the sorcerer stood. Dressed in black robes that flowed around him with some strange unnatural wind, he spoke the words of power to call from the dead the hounds that would take his sacrifice – two innocents locked in cages below him.

Riding to their rescue is the Prince of Camelot - handsome, brave, noble and true - and his most-trusted idiot, who ambled annoyingly beside him, his large ears and clumsy frame...


	7. Bad Day Part 4

"You've got to be kidding me," interrupted Merlin.

"What?"

"This is where you're starting the story?"

"It's a story about how_ I rescued them_, so this is the natural place to start."

"No mention of Gwen and Morgana both coming to see me with their suspicions of the new Knight visiting for the tourney? No mention of the two days of research and investigations I did before coming to you with my suspicions? No mention of..."

"Well, that stuff is just books and... it hardly counts as heroic."

Merlin just gave him _the look_. It was the look that had led to him slogging through mud to rescue Cecily. Arthur was beginning to hate _the look_.

"Fine, then. Where would you begin the story?"

"Well, it really began on Sunday when Gwen popped by Gaius' chambers to talk to me about something weird that she'd seen..."


	8. Sunday

"Merlin, I've just seen something weird."

"Funny weird or scary weird... or just weird weird?"

"Kind of weird weird, with a side of scary weird."

Gwen clutched her hands in front of her stomach, one of her many nervous gestures.

"You know that new knight, Sir Belten, the one who did well in the tournament last week and Uther asked him to stay?"

"The one Morgana pretends to be enamoured of because it annoys Arthur?"

"He's the one. Well, I think... I think I saw him coming out of the kitchens with some offal. A heart and some kidneys."

"Maybe he was hungry?" ventured Merlin.

"They were raw. And there was just something about him; something so... strange... so I followed him."

"And," prompted Merlin, when she paused.

"Well... it's kind of weird."

"Yes Gwen, we've established that part."

"Well, he knew I was following him, I guess, and he turned around and yelled at me and... and his eyes."

"Yes?"

"They glowed."

"Yellow?" ask Merlin, quickly.

"No, red. A bright red."

"Then he's some kind of magical being. We need to warn Arthur."

"And what, have him run up and try to chop the guy's head when we have no idea how dangerous he is? Honestly, Merlin, what are you thinking? Arthur's not exactly the brightest star in the heavens. We need to be very sure what we're doing before we unleash 'Sir Hack and Slash' on the world."

"Merlin!" It was the Lady Morgana, her dark hair piled on top of her head in ringlets and dressed in a stunning deep blue gown that bought out her eyes...


	9. Bad Day Part 5

"Stop!" ordered Arthur, "stop right there".

"What?"

"Gwen would never say that," he stated, firmly.

"And, even ignoring the pointlessly detailed description of Morgana's beauty, I know all this. Gwen and Morgana had both noticed something strange about Belten so the three of you followed him to the cemetery and watched him perform some magic ritual where he fed the offal to a black cat and then killed the cat and drank its blood."

"So I...?"

"So you went and looked at all those strange books you and Gaius have and discovered the purpose of the ritual was to prepare a sorcerer to summon a demon by sacrificing two maidens."

"Well, don't you think that's important to the story?"

"Merlin, if we were actually telling this story to people this would be the part where they went to the bar to get another drink. Research is not heroic. Research is boring. Can we just skip to the point where Gwen and Morgana disappeared and we went to rescue them?"

"Based on my research, you mean?"

"Whatever, Merlin."

"Fine then."

"Fine."


	10. Today Part 2

"So Arthur, that was a bit odd wasn't it?"

"Which bit, Merlin?" replied Arthur tersely. His legs swung gently in the breeze as he tried to undo the bonds around his wrists.

"Well, the bit where we finally track down the evil sorcerer who kidnapped Gwen and Morgana and, instead of killing us, he ties us up over a pit of scorpions, laughs maniacally, explains his entire plan to us, and then leaves before we're dead."

"I guess he figured our death was inevitable. Which, I might add, it is."

He looked over to the flame very slowly burning through the ropes suspending them from the tree and then down at the pit of hissing scorpions below them.

"Seems a bit convoluted to me," continued Merlin.

"Convoluted or not, it will ultimately be effective unless we can think of a way to get out of these bonds."

"And when we do, we know exactly where he's going and how much time we have before the sacrifice."

"Information that's not a lot of good to us dead."

"But see, if we don't die..."

"Shut up, Merlin!"

"Yes Sire."

"So, Arthur?" Merlin began a minute later.

Arthur just shook his head.

"You know, Merlin, the way you talk the scorpions will be a relief."

_

* * *

_

Ten minutes later

"So, I told you we'd escape from that, didn't I?"

"Um, sure," said Arthur, looking with some confusion at the pit that was now fifteen metres away and then down at his hands that were no longer bound.

"Merlin, how _did _we escape from that?"

"Oh, you were brilliant as usual."

"Oh... good. Well, let's go then. I bet that sorcerer is regretting explaining his entire plan to us now."

"Told you it was odd."

"Shut up, Merlin."

* * *

_Twenty minutes later_

"So, this sorcerer's plan involves him sacrificing the girls near these special lay lines..."

"Ley lines, Druid ley lines. Points of power," explained Merlin... for the third time.

"...ley lines for it to work."

"Right, and he has to do it today or it won't work for 1000 years."

"So he stole some offal to give the cat, which he sacrificed to drink its blood, which gave him the power to summon the hounds that will take the sacrifice that's needed to summon the demon who will then destroy the Kingdom?"

"Yes."

"I hate to say it, Merlin, but for once you're right."

"About what, Sire?"

"His schemes are remarkably convoluted."

"I told you."

"So," finished Arthur, "by rescuing the girls we foil his entire plan?"

"That's it."

"And they're imprisoned in cages in the valley, while he's standing on the outcropping above?"

"Yes, he has to create some sort of triangle."

"So, he's too far away to stop us physically and once he starts chanting he has to keeping doing it for half an hour without stopping or the demon takes his soul instead."

"That's what he said."

"And he explained all of this to us before leaving us alive... we've faced smarter opponents, haven't we, Merlin?"

"Indeed, Sire. Thank the Gods for evildoers that are both grandiose and stupid."

* * *

On an outcropping of rock above the valley, the sorcerer stood. Dressed in black robes that flowed around him with some strange unnatural wind, he spoke the words of power to call from the dead the hounds that would take his sacrifice – two innocents locked in cages below him.

Riding to their rescue is the Prince of Camelot - handsome, brave, noble and true - and his most-trusted idiot, who ambled annoyingly beside him, his large ears and clumsy frame...


	11. Bad Day Part 6

"Hey!"

"Oh, fine."


	12. Today Part 3

On an outcropping of rock above the valley, the sorcerer stood. Dressed in black robes that flowed around him with some strange unnatural wind, he spoke the words of power to call from the dead the hounds that would take his sacrifice – two innocents locked in cages below him.

Merlin and Arthur ran across the valley floor as the sorcerer began his spell, knowing that they had only half an hour to free the girls, but also that the sorcerer could not use physical force or magic to stop them.

"Maybe we should split up?" suggested Arthur, "you can go and rescue Morgana and I'll rescue Gwen."

He looked over at Merlin who was giving him a remarkably knowing look.

"What?"

"Nothing," replied Merlin, a grin hovering around his lips. "We can't split up. The cages are enchanted and only I can open them."

"Well, we'd better hurry then."

"Oh yes, because I was dragging my feet; no sense of the urgency of the situation at all."

"Sarcasm really doesn't suit you, Merlin."

"Help! Hello! Anyone? I thought I heard voices. Hello?"

"That's Morgana," said both men together and they took off again through the brush until they found her.

Dressed only in her simple white shift, she was trapped in the suprisingly-ornate cage.

"Oh, Arthur, Merlin, thank the Gods," she exclaimed in relief, "I've been trying to break open the lock but it won't budge. I think it's protected by an enchantment."

"Stand back from the door," said Arthur and he drew his sword, determined to break the cage open by force.

"Ah, Arthur," began Merlin, cautiously. An armed and enraged Arthur could be difficult to handle. _Like herding cats_, thought Merlin but out loud he said.

"The cage is enchanted, remember. I found a way to open it during my research but only I can do it."

"Yes Merlin, so you say, but I still think there's little that can withstand an onslaught from a Knight of Camelot."

"Arthur, I think you should listen to Merlin. I've been trying for hours. And that weird deranged faux-Knight of a sorcerer said no sword forged of man could open this lock."

"Well, he hadn't met me," said Arthur, preparing to charge.

"He had actually," noted Merlin and Morgana simultaneously, nodding at each other as they spoke, "yep, he met you quite a few times."

"Faced him in the tournament," said Merlin to Morgana.

"Nearly beat him," added Morgana, with a smirk.

"If you two would stop grinning at each other like fools, please? I have a maiden to rescue. And can I note that if he nearly beat me in the tourney it's because he probably used magic."

And he launched himself with his sword at the cage entrance, gracefully swinging the blade down onto the lock and being launched backwards into the air by the force that struck him back.

"I told you it was protected by an enchantment," noted Morgana.

Arthur stuck his head up from where he was lying winded on the ground.

"For a woman that's still stuck in a cage and is about to be devoured by hounds as a sacrifice, you seem remarkably happy about that."

"It's ok," said Morgana, "Merlin's about to rescue me, aren't you, Merlin?"

"Yes Milady," he responded gravely but then couldn't get rid of the grin that spread across his face.

He pulled out the vial of potion he'd created from fresh spring water, salt and his own tears. _And a spell; a part of the process he hadn't mentioned to Arthur._ It would open the cage but had to be administered by the person who had created it.

He poured some onto his fingers and rubbed it around the lock.

And nothing happened.

"Oh, come on," urged Morgana. Her freedom was almost tangible now and she wanted desperately to be out.

"I don't understand," said Merlin, "it should have worked, it..."

A bright spark flared from the lock and it disintegrated; the door of the cage flying open.

"Oh, thank the Gods," sobbed Morgana and she flew out of the cage toward her saviour, "for a moment there, I thought you weren't going to be able to save me."

And she put her head on Merlin's shoulder and wrapped her hands around him. His head came down beside hers and he rubbed her back softly.

"It's ok," he said, "I'd never let anything happen to you."

"I know. Thank you."

Arthur dragged himself up from the ground and looked at them; arms raised in disbelief.

The two untangled themselves and looked at him.

"What?" they asked.


	13. Bad Day Part 7

"What? Oh come on, Arthur, it was just a hug."

"No, Merlin, that was _not_ just a hug."

"Yes it was. She was upset and frightened and I hugged her. It was a hug."

"I know hugs, Merlin, and that was not a hug."

"You know, Morgana may put on that witty, wisecracking facade but inside she was very scared. It's not like there's anything between us. It was... just... a ... hug."

"Merlin, that was not a hug. If that was a hug, then hugging in public would be _illegal_."

"Anyway," said Merlin, seriously, although Arthur noticed there was a smile that he couldn't quite hide lurking behind his eyes, "that's three damsels down; one to go."

"Yes," agreed Arthur, "then there's Gwen."

"I think I know where this is going," noted Merlin.

"I'm not surprised, Merlin. Even an idiot like you should be able to pick up on the general theme here."

"It really was just a hug, Arthur."

"Was it, Merlin? Was it, indeed?"


	14. Today Part 4

"Grooowwwlll."

"What's that?" asked Merlin.

"Grooowwwlll."

"It's the hounds," said Arthur, "you and Morgana run and get Gwen free. I'll hold them off."

The two ran to find Guinevere and Arthur turned toward the hound. As large as three hunting dogs combined and with red fur and black eyes, it was pounding in the direction of the second cage; its focus so much on its target that it was ignoring Arthur.

Arthur powered quickly into a sprint and leapt at the beast's muzzle, knocking it off its paws. He rolled quickly to his feet, drew his sword and rammed it into the hound's heart.

He took a deep breath and then tensed again.

Because bounding down the path was hound number two.

This one had seen him take down its partner and ran directly at him, lips parted to reveal its giant incisors. He grabbed his sword in both hands and faced the hound as it came toward him.

"Grooowwwlll," he heard from his right... and his left.

"Oh Gods," he muttered, "now there's three."

He judged the distance between them and then launched himself at the one in front of him. Its jaws scraped off his armour as he slashed its throat and face.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the hounds break away and take off toward the cage. He kicked the creature he was grappling with and broke his jaw. It whimpered and retreated and he ran after the one making its way toward Gwen.

He jumped and caught it tail; its giant head whipping around to view him. He regained his feet and jammed cold steel down its throat. He pulled his sword free and felt the _thump_ as the final animal leapt onto his back. It raked down his back, mostly scratching his armour but also tearing at the back of his arms.

He lay on his stomach, the giant creature bounding over him; intent on its task once again. He crawled forward, found his knees, and then his feet and then he was sprinting again. He rounded a bend to see the hound nearly at the cage, where Merlin was just about to unlock the enchanted door with his potion.

He pulled his sword arm and threw the piece of metal at the beast, striking it in the stomach. It fell to the ground not 10 feet from where the others stood.

He walked slowly over to where the three were gathered, the wound in his arm starting to ooze and his legs threatening to give way from exhaustion.

Just in time to hear Gwen softly say, "I knew you'd work out how to save me," and throw her arms around Merlin.

"Oh," he said, "that's just not fair."


	15. Bad Day Part 8

"That's what this is really about, isn't it?" asked Merlin. "It's not about Jacquelyn or Cecily or me hugging Morgana. This is about Gwen."

"Don't be ridiculous, Merlin. It's about the fact that all the women in the Kingdom have apparently gone _insane_."

"You think I did a Lancelot."

"I... what.... what are you on about now, Merlin?"

"You know, Lancelot, handsome knight... swooped in and ruined your moment."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can say what you want but I know you better than that. This was the second chance you've been waiting for. You got all dressed up and heroically rescued the damsel and she leapt into someone else's arms... again."

"Don't be an idiot, Merlin."

"Call me an idiot all you want, but you're the one standing here arguing with me when she's probably waiting somewhere to thank you."

"I don't need to be thanked. I did my duty," he said proudly.

"Fine then. If you say this has nothing to do with Gwen then this has nothing to do with Gwen."

"Thank you."

"In that case, it's obvious what it's about."

"And what's that?'

Merlin stood up and grabbed Arthur's forearm, pulling him into his chest and wrapping his arms around his torso.

"You're obviously upset because you didn't get a hug," he said.

"Don't worry Arthur. No matter what happens, you'll always be _my_ hero."

Arthur paused and considered his action. Really, where his loyal servant was concerned, there was only one thing he could say.

"Gods Merlin... you're such a _girl_."

* * *

**The end. I hope you enjoyed. This is just a little bit of silliness but I had this image in my head of Merlin getting thanked and it driving Arthur crazy and I just had to write it down. I'm glad everyone enjoyed it so much. There is something a bit more substantial on its way. Stay tuned.**


End file.
